Bottle refrigerator



15, 1933- c. A. FRICK 1,923,033

BOTTLE REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 7. 1928 INVENTOR. v

6% ester fl. Frz'c/a,

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES BOTTLE REFRIGERATOR Chester A. Frick, Muncie, Ind, assignor to Glascock Brothers Mfg. (30., Muncie, Ind., a Corporation of Indiana Application December '7 3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in dispensing refrigerators, particularly that type of refrigerator for dispensing carbonated bottled drinks.

My invention relates particularly to that type of refrigerator wherein the bottles are arranged in upright position at side by side relation in a horizontally disposed channel and means are provided whereby a bottle may be inserted in one end of the channel and another bottle removed from the other end of the channel, when the covor member of the channel is manipulated to perinit access thereto.

It is one of the objects of my invention to pro vide 'a cover member for this type of refrigorator which may be readily removed to permit access to the channels through its entire length.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, I have disclosed one embodiment'thereof and the accompanying drawing in which--- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is-a detailed view of means for preventing the cover from being displaced during normal operation.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, I provide an outer casing which comprises side and end panels 1, connected between corner angle iron 2, which are extended to form suitable legs 3. A bottom panel 4 is also provided, which bottom panel has a deepened well portion 5.

Within this casing is mounted a tub 6 having a configuration similar to that of the casing but being slightly smaller in order to leave space between the walls of the tub and the casing, which is filled with suitable insulating material. A well 7 in the tub provides a space to receive the refrigerant which in the present instance may be in the form of ice.

A suitable channel cap 8 fits over the top edges of the tub and side panels to seal the opening between the same, and the upper edge of the tub is suitably braced by angles 9 which may be welded thereto immediately beneath the cap channels. The vertical legs or" the angles are secured to the side walls oi the tub, while the horizontal legs extend beneath the cap channels.

The bottles are adapted to be supported in an upright position and in side by side relation in containers 18, which. are preferably rectangular in form and are divided in longitudinally extend ing channels by divider plates 11. The top edges of the containers 10 have secured around their 1928. Serial No. 324,497

upper edges 2 shaped bars 11, one leg of the 2 being welded inside the upper edge of the containers so that the middle bar of the Z forms a horizontal piece having at its outer edge an upwardly extending lip or flange 11. The horizontal portion of these bars rest on the top edge of the tub and supports the containers in position and forms a horizontal track way for a cover member. This cover member preferably comprises a pair of plates having their edges turned at right angles to the plates and the edges or the two plates 12 telescoping to form between the plates a hollow portion which is preferably filled with insulating material. The cover member for each container is slightly shorter than the length of the container and is provided near its rear end with a series of bottle openings 13, one for each channel. Immediately behind each opening there is supported an arcuate propeller 14, which extends down into the bottle channel and is supported in position by being welded to an angle member 14', the horizontal leg 15 of which is secured between the plates forming the top or cover member. When the cover member is moved rearwardly to the limit of its movement the propeller is at the rear end of the channel and with a row of bottles in the channel, the first bottle of the row is removed. At the same time a warm bottle is inserted through the opening of the cover member and drops into position immediately in front of the propeller. When the cover member is-moved forward to a closed position the propeller, engaging behind the rear most bottle of the row, propels the entire row forward. Immediately beneath the openings in the cover member, when the cover member is moved to its forward position, there is arranged a cross bar and cross plate 16, which serves to close the openings when the cover member is moved forward. At the forward end of each side guide lip or flange 11 there is provided a bayonet slot 17, adapted to receive pins 18, which prevent the cover member from being lifted when in its closed position. The rear end of the cover member is prevented from being lifted, when in its closed position, due to the fact that the propeller is arcuate in shape and its upper edge will engage beneath the cross plate 16. When, however, the cover member is moved to open position, the propeller member is disengaged from beneath the cross plate and the pins are in such a position in the bayonet slot as to permit the cover member to be bodily vertically lifted. By this arrangement the sliding cover member is readily removable to permit access to the channels for the purpose of cleaning, etc.

The walls of the bottle containers are periorated to permit the free circulation of the cool ing fluid through the container in contact with the bottles. In operation the tub is filled with water so that when the ice and containers are placed in position, the Water level will ice just beneath the bottle caps. The ice is piaced in the container in the deepened Well and is maintained in its submerged position by the Weight of the container immediately above the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a bottle container adapted to receive the bottles in an upright side by side relation and open at its top substantiaily from end to end,.of a sliding cover for closing said container, slidably supported at its two side edges on the top edges or" the sides thereof an adapted when slid rearwardiy to open the front end of the container, said cover having an opening at the rear end thereof to permit a bottle to pass therethrough, a stationary closure plate iceneath said cover adapted to close said opening when the slide cover is moved to close the front end of the container, the diameters of said plate from front to rear being substantially the dian'ieter'of the opening in the cover, and a propeller carried by said cover at the rear of said openii for engaging and propelling the bottles throu h said container.

2. The combination with a container adapted neaaoee to receive the bottles in an upright side by side relation and open at the top and having slide rails mounted on its upper edges, of a sliding top cover for cl *ing said container mounted on said slide rails, adapted when slid rearwardly to open the front end of the container, and having an opening at the rear end to permit a bottle to pass therethrough, stationary closure mem *er beneath said cover adapted to close said opening when the slide cover is removed to close the front end of the container, and the propeller carried by said cover and projecting into the container for engaging and propelling the bottles through said container.

The combination with a bottle container d on its upward provided ly extenzing embracing lips, oi a top cover closing said container, mounted on said and between said embracing lips ada ted when slid rearward to open tr e t end or container and having an opening iinit a bottle to pass tn-era wardly in said container.

CHESTER A. FRICK.

ainer for engaging the bottles and pro- A 

